


between the food and drinks (we're two of the same)

by angelsigil



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: M/M, Rival Restaurant and Club AU, i live and breathe it, it's gonna be fun, meanie is my life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-06-10
Packaged: 2018-07-10 19:54:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7004218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelsigil/pseuds/angelsigil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"here," he slid the drink over to him, and the brunette peered into the contents of the brewed drinks. he looked back up to meet the dark, tired eyes of the sexy bartender in front of him, "drink up."<br/>"why?"  the taller of the two asked, looking up with innocent puppy dog eyes.<br/>the bartender sighed, before making his way around the polished counter. he plopped down, crossing his legs and leaning back a bit, "don't know about you, but it looks like you had a rough day."<br/>he went to reply, but the other continued to talk, "besides, it can't hurt to have a little fun, alright?"<br/>for once in what seems forever, the chef smiled.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Chefs;
> 
> -Kim Mingyu  
> -Lee Jihoon  
> -Lee Seokmin   
> -Boo Seungkwan   
> -Hong Jisoo  
> -Yoon Jeonghan  
> -Xu Minghao

"Mingyu!" The shrill voice of the short man echoed throughout the kitchen. Said male turned his head to glance over his shoulder before looking back down at the food he was cooking. He didn't want to be yelled at for turning his attention away. "Yes, boss?"

He jumped slightly when a band of spaghetti noodles slapped the counter just to the left of him. Having had his hand on the pot, he jerked it slightly, causing boiling hot droplets of water to splash his wrist and chest.

"Agh- Goddamnit, Jihoon!" He cursed, letting go of the handle to step back and rub his wrist with a pout. The blonde man glared up at him.

"You fucking tree," He began, marching around the side to grab a handful of curly noodles that rested in a separate bowl, "you're using the wrong type of noodles!" 

Mingyu leaned back, turning his head to the side when Jihoon stomped up to him and waved the fist that contained the noodles in his face. He had to deal with this, but maybe if Jeonghan had told him what noodles to use, he wouldn't be in this mess.

"I had to go based off of assumptions, boss. I-" He cut himself off when Jihoon tossed the handful of noodles at him, and he watched in dismay as the dry pasta fell to the floor, making a mess.

The other cook in the room, Minghao, looked up from the Chinese dish he was preparing for the taste-testing that night at the clinking sound the action made. He shook his head, before going back to cooking.

"Was that necessary, boss?" Mingyu asked, his voice small and soft from the fear he got from making the mistake at looking down at Jihoon's eyes, which were crinkled due to his teeth-baring snarl.

"This is an important night, we can't have the noodles messed up too! It's spaghetti with the straight noodles! You know how much the judge you're cooking for likes traditional spaghetti!" The chef spat, glaring up at the taller cook.

"'Keep it classy yet simple.'" Mingyu repeated the words the blonde chef had told him earlier that day, "I got it. It's just, Jeonghan didn't really specify, so-"

"Right, blame Jeonghan." Jihoon spat, rolling his eyes. Mingyu bit back a frown, and instead kept his expression blank. He knew the older chef was only making sure that everything was perfect for the event, and he knew his sour attitude was an effect of the stress, but he couldn't help but end up getting worked up himself.

He didn't say a word as Jihoon too a few steps back, gesturing to the mess of crunched noodles on the ground, "Um, clean this up and get back to work." He ran a hand through his short hair, before turning on his heels to go check on the other chefs.

Mingyu sighed and took the broom and pan Minghao had handed to him. It was a routine: get the recipe, not get told details, mess up, get yelled at, clean up a mess of a chosen ingredient on the ground. Every other chef knew to get the broom and pan towards the end of Jihoon's lecture. It was a given.

~

Rows of tables lined against the wall with plain white clothes draped over them were pushed against the dining hall's north wall. Small circular tables adorned with shiny gold table cloths were scattered about the room. Soft, classical music played lightly in the background. Chandeliers glowed dimly overhead, and it was the perfect setting for a judging event. Right behind the kitchen, which was conveniently placed.

Mingyu stood off to the side beside one of his good friends, Lee Seokmin. He shifted constantly, the stiff tuxedo hugging his body a little too tightly, giving an uncomfortable feeling. He sighed softly to himself, smiling brightly at every man or woman who passed by him. He complimented the lady's gown, and shook hands with the gentleman. Like a true little host.

Jihoon got in front of the place and gave his welcoming speech, introducing the dishes served. Each chef bowed when their own dish was introduced, and Mingyu only followed suit.

As the judges gathered to get the dishes, as Jisoo and Seungkwan were serving, Mingyu took the given time to drift off into thought, staring out the window. 

Across the street was a building that had opened up a few months prior. It was dark as of currently, and he could catch sight a line of people just outside. Teenagers and young adults just looking for a good time. Some swung hands carrying bottles of alcohol, others made out messily just on the other side of the red rope. A large man, a bouncer, stood by the doors, buff arms crossed over his broad chest. Mingyu was in awe. It was just the beginning of sunset. He knew it only opened at night, but he never saw it in the twilight hours.

The club itself was run by a man named Seungcheol. He was a rapper, and with one of his friends, decided to buy and open a club with their earnings. Of course, this loud, trashy place had to be opened right across the classy restaurant who only served five star food and treated the upperclassman. Though every night, loud booming music annoyed the ears of the finely prepared chefs. Sometimes they had to deal with the drunks on the weekends.

Least to say, Jihoon Lee hated Seungcheol Choi.

"Hey," Seokmin nudged his hand, bringing him back to reality, "that judge who really likes your food is coming. Straighten up." 

The brunette cast his friend a thankful smile, obliging and straightening his posture. He fixed his tie and placed his hands behind him, holding them. "Hello," he greeted once he got closer, "how is your night?"

"Amazing so far, I am so impressed with your dish, and I only had a small taste of it," He turned to point to the table with Jeonghan's judge sat, "it's simplicity yet bursting flavors amaze me."

Mingyu bowed slightly, tilting his head. "I'm glad you enjoy it." Humbleness is the key.

"I'm most impressed." The judge gave an approving nod, placing his hand on Mingyu's shoulder, before returning to his seat. Mingyu sighed, earning a chuckle from Seokmin.

"Jihoon will be pleased for another event!"

"So he will."

~

By the time night had came, the common muffled, booming music reached the walls of the hall. The ground vibrated lightly, and the judges began to complain among one another. Mingyu, who had not moved from his spot at all, glanced over at Jihoon, who was gripping tightly onto his head. He looked like he was going to rip it in half, and Jisoo was patting his shoulder assuringly. 

Mingyu glanced back out the window. The crowd was shorter now, surprisingly, and the neon sign lit up the street. He was intrigued, and he had realized that it looked much funner than staying in his current position. So, without thinking much, he turned to Seokmin.

"Hey, cover for me." He told the brunette, slinking off to the back of the hall before the cook could reply. He opened the door, looking around for any witnesses, and then slipping through, closing it quietly behind him. He had come to terms with the fact that his dish was served, he was praised, and no one should really notice his absence for a while.

So he slid out into the night.

~

The line was long, it was dark, and everything was loud once he actually got inside. His ears rang, and he had to really twist and turn to avoid getting squashed by a couple or shoved by a drunkie. Sometimes he'd end up dazed by a stray colored beam of light that shone into his eyes.

"Hey," a loud voice shouted once he was within ear shot of the bar area. Shielding his eyes, Mingyu looked over, squinting. He didn't need to, for his eyes got a clear shot of who was talking to him.

The bartender, a young man wearing a form fitting dress shirt and vest, stared back at him with a raised eyebrow, "Yeah, tux guy, get over here."

Mingyu stumbled over, taking a seat in one of the twisty circular chairs he loved as a kid, "Uhhh-"

"You're all fancy tonight. Not one for the club setting, are you?" He shook the container, before pouring the contents into a shot glass. He glanced up at Mingyu a few times while doing so.

"Here," he slid the drink over to him, and the brunette peered into the contents of the brewed drinks. He looked back up to meet the dark, tired eyes of the sexy bartender in front of him, "Drink up."

"Why?" the taller of the two asked, looking up with innocent puppy dog eyes.

The bartender sighed, before making his way around the polished counter. He plopped down, crossing his legs and leaning back a bit, "Don't know about you, but it looks like you had a rough day."

He went to reply, but the other continued to talk, "Besides, it can't hurt to have a little fun, alright?"

For once in what seems forever, the chef smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

"So, what's your name, kid?" The bartender asked, leaning back a bit in his seat. He didn't seem too concerned about all the people bumping bodies and grinding against each other in the background. It made Mingyu very, very uncomfortable. 

"Kim Mingyu." The owner of said name mumbled, his attention on the cheering crowd when some guy decided to break dance. Mingyu couldn't help but notice the movements were very loose, and the guy was most likely very drunk.

"Ah, //the// Kim Mingyu?" The raven haired man tipped his head back, gazing at the lighted ceiling. Mingyu's eyes widened in question. So, the bartender proceeded to explain.

"Some people with little class come here and blab about your cooking. From what I hear, it's most impressive." He took a moment to glance at Mingyu, who was beginning to lean forward a bit to hear the story better over the loud noise.

"I guess," He shrugged. He was rather humble with his cooking skills. He knew he was good, but he didn't like to boast unless he was with his friends. "What's your name?" Switching the topic was the best idea, considering he didn't want to linger on the topic.

"The name's Jeon Wonwoo." He replied with a loud voice as the crowd got loud for a moment. 

"//The// Jeon Wonwoo?" Mingyu gasped, taking a moment to play humor and mimic the bartender's earlier actions.

"Huh? I doubt you know me, your place is too classy." Wonwoo snorted, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his head.

Mingyu chuckled under his breath, raising the glass to his lips and gulping the small amount of liquid with one shot. He crinkled his nose at the bitter taste.

By then, Wonwoo had gotten up and slid back around the corner. He pulled a bottle from under the counter and popped the cap open. Mingyu watched as the cork hit the ground with a tap, and he reached out to grab hit before it rolled off the surface.

Wonwoo reached over for his glass, and it hit Mingyu what he was going to do.

"Oh, no thank you." He quickly said, stopping the other's actions, "I can't drink. My boss would kill me if I came back drunk."

"C'mon, it's a Friday night. It'll be on the house." Wonwoo then poured the drink to the brim. Mingyu attempted to snatch the glass away before he could, but it would end up with liquid poured all over the place, and he didn't need that.

With a soft sigh, Mingyu took the glass when it was slid back to him. He knew he couldn't decline free alcohol anyways. It was considered rude to.

"You have a lot of stress lines." Wonwoo commented, and when Mingyu looked up from his hands, he noticed the raven haired was much closer than usual. Their faces were only a few inches apart, and his dark eyes scanned Mingyu's face.

"Ah?" Mingyu reached up, running a long finger around his forehead and down his own cheeks, as if searching for the lines Wonwoo was talking about. 

"Stop that, I can't see them. Hey, move your hands!" Wonwoo reached out and gripped Mingyu's wrists, forcing them down. He pinned them to the counter, and he leaned even closer, squinting.

"What are you even looking at? The stress lines can't be that noticeable!" Mingyu wailed, trying to wiggle out of his grasp, but he was surprisingly strong. Maybe it was the fact that he had a really hot guy leaning extremely close to him making him suddenly weak. He was tall and lanky, but he was no weak boy.

"Oh, no, they aren't." Wonwoo hummed, releasing one of Mingyu's wrists so he can place a hand on his cheek. The breath got caught in the brunette's throat, and he visibly tensed up.

This caused Wonwoo to smirk, and he ran his thumb a bit along the taller's bottom lip, "I was looking at your handsome face~." 

Mingyu let out a jumbled choke, his eyes widening and heat bursting all over his face. He didn't know what to really do or say. Does he make a run for it? This guy may be hot, but he was coming on too strong-

"Wonwoo!" A new voice called over the hustling crowd. Said man moved back away from Mingyu, dropping his hand as well as the smirk. In fact, his face could only be described as a resting bitch face.

They were soon joined by a shorter man. He had brown hair and tan skin, but he looked rather smug. 

"Junhui." Wonwoo replied back, grabbing another bottle and shaking it a bit to seem busy. 

"I saw you there. Don't think I wasn't watching." This man, apparently named Junhui, leaned on the bar, wiggling his eyebrows at the bartender. Mingyu felt mildly uncomfortable, and was really thinking about leaving.

"That is rather rude and creepy, don't you think?" Wonwoo asked, raising a single eyebrow at the man's actions. Junhui snorted and rolled his head to the side to scan Mingyu up and down. Checking him out, if you will.

"Hey, you hot piece of fancy ass. How about we-"

"Don't." He was cut off by Wonwoo, who glared at him. Mingyu wondered what was that all about. Maybe he truly did care about his feelings after all. Mingyu shifted in his seat and offered the newcomer an awkward smile. He had tight black pants and a red, sleeveless vest with no shirt underneath. He was rather ripped, Mingyu had to admit.

Junhui glanced and Wonwoo for a moment, the corner of his lip curling up into a knowing smirk, before looking back at Mingyu. "That probably was rude of me, eh?"

"You think?" Mingyu huffed, furrowing his eyebrows. This caused the man to chuckle.

"Anyways, I'm Wen Junhui. Call me Jun. I work as a snack boy here, my station's over there." He nodded his head towards the other side of the building, just past Wonwoo's bar. 

"Feeding the hungry is rather...good." Mingyu nodded, trying to keep a conversation going.

"He makes very good Chinese snacks. He's from China, so it's expected. Also excels in Martial Arts." Wonwoo spoke up. Mingyu turned his attention to the raven haired male, who was now cleaning a glass with a towel.

"You flatter me." Jun chuckled lowly, sending a wink towards Wonwoo, who frowned in response. Mingyu couldn't help but wonder if they were a thing, or if Jun was just really flirty.

"I have a coworker who is around the same! He's an amazing cook, and good at Martial Arts. He's also from China." Mingyu nodded his head in confirmation of his own words. 

"Minghao, perhaps?" Jun asked, tilting his head in question. Mingyu blinked in awe. "You know him?"

The brunette hummed under his breath, tracing a circle into the counter, "Oh, do I." Before Mingyu could say anything more, Jun had detached himself from the counter and waved to Wonwoo. "I'm gonna go now. I can't leave my post for too long. Keep up the good work, Won!" And he was gone.

Mingyu didn't know what to say now. Who did, honestly, when a charismatic snack boy came up and attempted to flirt up a storm? So, he just grabbed the drink Wonwoo prepared for him earlier and downed that in one gulp too.

"And you said you shouldn't drink." Wonwoo said, amusement lacing his voice.

Mingyu rolled his eyes, setting the glass down and wiping his mouth on his sleeve. He probably shouldn't, as it is very expensive, but he did anyways. "I think I'm being drowned in stress. Your friend didn't help much."

"Stress isn't good for the soul. Here," Wonwoo slid him yet another glass.

Mingyu, not complaining by now, took the drink with a grin. "Alright, your choice. Bottoms up."

And he downed it.


	3. Chapter 3

Had he known he would be standing in the middle of a sweaty, dancing crowd pressed close to a sexy bartender with tongues down each other's throat and bodies flaming to the point where he felt he'd die if he stayed in his tux any longer, he wouldn't of drunk so many glasses of alcohol. Common sense would have screamed at him to get his shit together. 

Due to common sense being lost in a system full of alcohol and the desire to release the stress that had piled up over months of work, Mingyu quite frankly didn't give a fuck.

But how it happened was all too sudden. He had about as much alcohol in him as the next guy on the dance floor, perhaps less, as he had some hold of his mind. He turned around at one point to check the clock, but he was met with a sea of people.

The music was so dance worthy and the people looked like they could bring a good time. Eyes wide in awe, Mingyu had taken it upon himself to grab Wonwoo's hand and drag him around the counter, claiming he needed to do something "important".

Pulling a very confused and questioning Wonwoo to the heart of the crowd, Mingyu spun to face him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Wonwoo asked, "I have work to do, you know."

Without another word, Mingyu took both of his hands into his own sweaty palms, and spun the raven haired male around. He tried to dip him, but that went far too wrong and Wonwoo only bending halfway so Mingyu didn't drop him. He tried to spin again, but Wonwoo had enough of that. He took control of the dance.

The two men dance, twirled, spun, dipped. The swayed their bodies and rolled their hips. They spun close, apart. Anything you could really think of for a dance, honestly.

After a while, when the songs paused and it was just a bunch of chattering among the people, they gazed at each other.

"What was the meaning of that?" Wonwoo asked again, raising an eyebrow.

"You're really hot, and I really wanted to dance with you!" Mingyu chirped far-too-confidently, placing his hands on his hips and raising his chin with pride.

"...Is that so?" Wonwoo asked, a smirk pulling at his lips, earning a single nod in reply. 

In an instant, Mingyu was suddenly eye level with the older male. Wonwoo's hands were clutched at his collar, keeping him bent over. The look on his face made Mingyu's heart skip multiple beats and heat rise to his face. He looked devious, but it was a really good kind of devious. It oddly suited him.

He leaned in, lips brushing against the outside of his ear. Mingyu involuntarily bit lightly on his bottom lip in anticipation, his gaze shifting to the side to try and catch a glimpse of the other's face.

"You're pretty sexy yourself. Tall, dark and handsome." Wonwoo purred, his voice low and husky and damn he has never heard any voice that sounded so hot before now. Mingyu shuddered when he felt something warm and wet- his tongue- lick the shell of his ear before biting gently on his earlobe, "Just my type."

Mingyu let out a breathless huff when he felt Wonwoo's body press up against his own. They were so close that he could feel the steady heartbeat of the bartender against his own chest. How could he be so calm? The brunette was sure his ow heartbeat was picking up, dangerously slow to bursting through his ribcage. 

Wonwoo made a move away from his ear. He thought Wonwoo was going to pull back, and Mingyu kind of wanted to see his expression, but instead he dipped down, burying his face into the crook of the taller's neck.

More than one parts of Mingyu twitched at the feeling of the bartender's hot breath caressing his skin lightly. Even though he was beginning to work up a sweat from the dancing and surrounding body heat, he couldn't have welcomed the warmth any more than he did.

The music started up again, but they weren't even considering dancing.

"I am just wanting a taste of," Wonwoo paused, taking a moment to nuzzle the patch of skin just under Mingyu's ear, "something of yours so badly right now."

This led Mingyu to squeak in response. Wonwoo pulled back away from his neck, and captured his lips in a hard kiss. It wasn't slow and romantic like Mingyu would have liked, but more of quick and hot (and sloppy on Mingyu's end). But it was blissful.

If he had control of the normal, sane part of his mind, he would have yelled at himself for sucking faces with a bartender that he had just met. Hey, but he couldn't complain too much. The guy's obviously a score.

So, that brought him to present day. They were all over each other, until Wonwoo was forced away by an unknown person trying to yell something over the loud noise.

Mingyu took a moment to gather his thoughts. He could still feel the sensation of the dark haired male's soft lips on his own. The burning traces of his touch lingered on his sides and chest, craving for more. The proof of their intense kissing was evident in Mingyu's ruffled hair, puffy red lips, and dazed expression.

He took a moment to peer over at Wonwoo through heavy, half lidded eyes. He wasn't too surprised to see the other in a similar state. Mingyu would be very embarrassed to admit that the sight of Wonwoo turned him on.

His hair was messy, strands sticking up. It didn't look like the neatly swept do he had going earlier. His milky colored skin was flushed at the cheeks, lips swollen from Mingyu's sucking and kissing, and his expression would have sent him over the edge.

Instead of succumbing to the awakening arousal, he turned his attention to the owner of the hand that was on Wonwoo's shoulder.

The guy was just a bit shorter. He was wearing a loose black tanktop with a faded skull on it, baggy shorts and black socks with sandals (what the hell?). Fake gold chains were draped over his neck, the end being a dollar sign. He had black hair with light brown streaks poking out of the small square in the back of a hat. The backwards turned hat made his ears look much similar to a monkey's. This made Mingyu giggle to himself.

"Woah, Wonwoo, what do you think you're doing? You're supposed to be working, not making out with this..." The man glanced at him, scanning him over, "well-dressed guy!" 

"To be fair, he is hot." Wonwoo countered, his voice rough. Mingyu would have said that he was hot, if it weren't for the sharp glare the guy gave him, "Sheesh, alright, sorry Cheol. I'll get back to work."

"Don't you 'sorry Cheol' me." The guy, Cheol?, mumbled as he shoved Wonwoo towards the direction of the bar.

"Calm down, calm down! I'll get back to work." Wonwoo rose his hands in surrender, glancing back at Mingyu with a wink, "See you later, big boy." 

And then he was gone.

"Dear God, what am I doing with my life?" Cheol asked himself, placing his hands behind his head, closing his eyes and turning his head towards the bright ceiling.

Mingyu shrugged in response even though he didn't see, and looked around, looking fairly similar to a lost dog.

Cheol looked over at him, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, "You here alone or with a group of friends, or were you just talking to Wonwoo?" He swore he could've heard 'but you didn't do much talking by the looks of it', but it could have been his drunken mind building up scenarios for him.

"Alone." Mingyu half-hiccuped, covering his mouth with his fist as he looked at the floor. Everything seemed to tip slightly. Weird.

"You're drunk off your mind, so you ain't going home alone. I gotta feeling you won't make it here in one piece. Any sicko out there would like a fine piece of your ass." The thug-looking man said, scratching the back of his neck, "Did you talk to anyone else or...?" 

"Uhm, I think his name sounded like a month..." Mingyu slurred, trailing off to rack his brain for information, "July?"

"Jun!" Monkey-ears blurted out in recognition and relief, maybe?, "He got off his shift ten minutes ago, and he always gets a drink afterwards. Let me fetch him, being the oh-so-great Choi Seungcheol!" And he dashed off, pushing his way through the crowd until he disappeared.

Mingyu stood there, dumbfounded. Ah, so that was Choi Seungcheol? Made sense for the nickname, then.

He waited there for about ten minutes before a hand tapped his shoulder. His gaze came back to focus on a sweater-wearing, pissed off looking Junhui. He sighed in annoyance, holding up his hand to jingle car keys.

"I'm apparently your transport, according to Seungcheol. Let's get going."

~~

The ride home was awkwardly quiet. Mingyu would blabber on and on about nonsense, before falling half asleep with his forehead against the cold window. Jun never replied, only rolled his eyes at some comments.

When they pulled up to his small house, as Mingyu had given Jun directions to his home (obviously, how else would he get there?), Mingyu was shaken awake. "Yo, we're here. Get out. You smell like sex and beer. Gross combination, by the way."

Mingyu snorted as he was waken, rubbing his eyes. By now, soberness was beginning to kick in and a beginning of a headache began to set in. He groaned, unbuckling and opening the door, sliding out after giving the Chinese male his thanks.

"Hey," Jun called out after him, causing Mingyu to turn, holding onto the door as support, "You owe me a drink since I missed out tonight."

"Do I?" Mingyu asked, really confused on why he owed Jun one. It's not like he couldn't finish a drink in ten minutes, right?

"Yeah, and I'm pretty damn sure you'll need my number in order to do so," He opened his glove department, before taking out an old piece of paper and a pen that barely worked, before scribbling his number on it and handing it to Mingyu.

Now, the brunette had a chance to make a run for it while he was struggling to right it down, but his legs felt like jello and he was just getting feeling back as Jun handed him the strip of paper.

"I, uh..." Mingyu stammered, hesitating as Jun huffed, annoyed, and leaned further to place it in his hand.

The door was forcefully closed, and before he knew it, Jun was gone, leaving the bewildered, half-drunk man in his driveway.


	4. Chapter 4

"Yahh! Kim Mingyu, watch where you're going!" Jeonghan cried as he tried to dance his way around the taller chef without dropping and ruining his freshly baked twenty layer cake. Mingyu stepped forward with a groan, sending a light glare to the angel man in the process.

Seriously, who makes cake that big? It looks like something from a cartoon that's just waiting for a disaster! Whoever ordered that was in a hell for a ride.

Jeonghan merely glared back playfully before rushing off to his station to decorate his dessert. Mingyu faced forward again, looking down at his own work. He had to prepare a steak meal for someone, having previously prepared some pasta with his homemade sauce. 

He shook a can of non-stick spray before spraying it on the pan, groaning at the sharp pain the scent gave his headache. He groaned under his breath and set the can down, rubbing his temples. This hangover really didn't pay well, did it?

A hand on his shoulder made him to turn to look down at the person. It was Jisoo, whose face held heavy sympathy and pity for the taller man.

"Uh, hyung?" He mumbled, sighing out, "Is there an issue?"

"You don't look so well. Your disappearance struck concern for everyone. Where did you go?"

Chuckling under his breath, Mingyu turned away from the ginger haired chef and began to season the meat he was ready to cook. He knew he would be discovered, but at least they didn't get an idea on where exactly he went.

"Is Jihoon mad?" Was all Mingyu asked Jisoo, who had accompanied him by handing seasonings as they conversed, so he wasn't exactly slacking off.

"Well, not really, but Seokmin told me he was going to have a talk with you." Jisoo answered, handing him Mingyu's favorite seasoning to work with. A good choice, as when Mingyu works with his favorite ingredients, the dishes end up tasting a lot better.

"Thank the lord." Mingyu sighed under his breath, causing Jisoo to laugh. The brunette took the two slabs of meat and put them on the pan, satisfied by the sizzling sounds they realesed. He went to ask the other chef a question, when he heard Seokmin calling from him from the front of the restaurant.

"Watch my meat?" Mingyu asked Jisoo, who had nodded and took position in front of the stove. Giving him a thumbs up, he dashed out of the kitchen area and to the Seokmin and Minghao, who was working as a waiter and register person.

"What is it?" Mingyu asked, skidding to a stop beside Seokmin.

"A customer wanted to talk to you about your cooking." Minghao piped up, folding his hands in front of him.

Worry set in Mingyu's chest. Oh God, is this the first time since he was hired that someone's going to complain about his cooking? He was kind of dreading this confrontation, honestly.

"Yeah? Where are they?"

"He's at the table in the back, by the restrooms." Seokmin said, flipping through his notepad full of orders. Mingyu nodded and walked around the counter.

From there, he couldn't see the customer. They were covered by the long wall that was built far out from the counter. Plants and vines were on the top, spiraling down the wall. Jihoon thought it would be a good idea to build that in when they were remodeling a few months back, due to Seungkwan's request. This just made Mingyu's anxiety spike up more at the fact he couldn't get a glance.

He slowly walked between the tables of conversing people, glancing at them and smiling. He was still respectable to others, though he was looking for that customer. He glanced towards the table, and was surprised by what he saw.

A man with fluffy blonde hair with light blue dyed tips sat hunched over the meal in the chair, messily chowing down the pasta Mingyu had prepared earlier. A cellphone was pressed against his ear, and he was mumbling through mouthfuls into the speakers.

Mingyu approached him timidly, fumbling with his fingers. When the man noticed he was there, he let out a choked noise, swallowing the food he had in his mouth.

"Wonu! He's here now!! I gotta hang up!!" He shouted into the phone. Mingyu could hear muffled groaning from the receiver before the guy hung up. He looked up at Mingyu with the brightest smile.

"Hey, Chef!" He greeted, on which the brunette bowed his head slightly as a greeting, "You look nervous. Don't worry, your cooking's good. Sit down."

The loud volume of this guy's voice was really...'out there'...in the otherwise quiet restaurant. That's when he realized this guy wasn't an upperclassman at all.

He wore a red leather jacket with black and white lining, ripped jeans, and old sneakers. Not to mention a striped headband on his head kind of was a questionable fashionable choice. What was a guy like that doing in a place like this?

Mingyu obeyed though, and took a seat across from him, staring at him expectantly. He didn't really know what to say, to say the least.

"My name's Kwon Soonyoung," He stook out a hand, a polite gesture he wasn't expecting from the friendly man, "I work at the club across the street."

Taking his hand, Mingyu laughed quietly, "It seems a bunch of the club-goers are suddenly popping into my life now." He tried to humor the conversation, but quickly realized how rude and bitter that sounded, and gave a quick apologetic smile.

Luckily, Soonyoung didn't seem to care, for he laughed. Once again, loudly. "More like you popped into our lives! Who knew the town's best cook could really party?"

This caused multiple uneasy glances from the surrounding customers, and Mingyu to give a questioning look and shake his head. He pleaded with the blonde with his eyes to not talk about the topic. Soonyoung got the hint, and gave a thumbs up.

"Ah, sorry! But honestly, totally unexpected." He leaned back in his chair a bit, grinning at the taller male. Mingyu gave a sheepish smile in return, slouching a bit in his own seat. 

"Can't believe you actually saw that, to be honest." Mingyu admitted, looking to the side.

Soonyoung clicked his tongue, "You really get to see everyone in the crowd when it comes to being the DJ." He leaned forward, and if the 'no-elbows-on-the-table' rule could apply now, it should, "You really got the moves like jagger, Mr. Kim."

Once again, Mingyu gave a little shake of the head and raised his hand to prevent further discussion on the topic, "Really, I needed a bit to relax. Why did you call me over here, anyways?"

"To give my compliments to the chef, of course!" Soonyoung chirped, before standing up. Mingyu took it that he was finished, but he left half the plate full. He gave a distasteful frown at the waste of food.

The blonde clubber walked past him, pausing to rest a hand on the shoulder, "Such a shame you couldn't possible return. You left a lot of unsatisfied customer." His hand slowly slid off, leaving Mingyu alone at the table.

The brunette stared at the white table cloth a bit longer before standing up and straightening the read bow around his neck and smoothing out his apron. He made his way back to the kitchen, before shaking his head at the questionable gazes from Seokmin and Minghao, merely alerting the man working on the waiter shift that there was a table that needed to be cleared.

"Jisso, I hope you have been babying my steak!" He had shouted upon re entering the kitchen, earning a laugh from the ginger still placed in front of the stove.

~~

"-And that's why if you leave like that again, I won't hesitate to fire you." Jihoon had finished his long lecture, putting the list of topics he needed to hit back into his pocket, leaving Mingyu pouting by himself. That wasn't an ideal way to end his shift, but what happens happens, right?

Mingyu watched in dismay as Jihoon walked back into the restaurant to clean up. Time to go home then.

~~

In the middle of eating his dinner, the chef remembered that Junhui gave him his number. In that case, he quickly got up and scouted for the paper. He found it in the pocket of his tux pants, which he didn't wash yet. He added a contact, and sent him a message.

"To: july  
hey, it's mingyu....you gave me your number?"

He set his phone down and continued on with his quickly made dinner; soup and bread. Sure, he could cook a whole meal for his customers, but when it comes to himself, he'll shovel just about anything into his system.

About ten minutes later, his phone beeped. He picked it up, checking the message.

"From: july  
so about that drink..."

Mingyu chuckled to himself. This guy really got to the point, didn't he? Even though Junhui took a while to reply, Mingyu was always one to reply immediately. It made him seem desperate to girls he had asked for their numbers, but he never really cared.

"To: july  
sure whatever. gimme a time & place and u got urself a deal"

It only took a time period that Mingyu could eat two spoonfuls of soup when the same notification came up. He checked the message.

"From: july  
hell yeah. tomorrow night @ 8, that classy bar around main street. you know what it is"

Mingyu sighed to himself, drumming his fingers on the wooden table. This guy has good taste, but really? Did he think Mingyu was made of money?

"To: july  
alright fine. is this a date ? ;)"

He was only humoring the both of them, honestly. He wasn't really prepared for the response he got back.

"From: july  
i was hoping you'd ask that. it is. thanks for agreeing xoxo"

Mingyu choked on his soup, sputtering for breath. So it was a date? Honestly? He didn't really want it to be. Just a homie making up for the trouble given. Taking a sigh, he sent Junhui another joke before turning off his phone.

He should be excited for a date, since he hadn't had one in forever, but he couldn't get the bartender from the night before off his mind.


	5. Chapter 5

Eight o'clock rolled around on a boring Sunday. Thankfully, the restaurant was closed on Sundays. Mingyu would prefer it to be all weekend, but Jihoon was not going to have any of it. Sundays and Wednesdays were closed. Simple as that.

Mingyu had already arrived to the bar, having walked there as he didn't have his own car. He usually caught a bus or carpooled with Seokmin to get to work, and he decided excersise couldn't do his long limbs harm.

That was a lie. By the time he got to the bar, his upper legs hurt like hell. Grumbling, he took a seat at the counter, using his feet to spin the chair slightly. He took his phone out of his pocket, sending Junhui a quick text saying that he was there, before placing it on the counter. He looked around.

It wasn't busy, as expected for a Sunday night. People usually had work in the morning, so they weren't set out to party. But there was a handful of people there, and they were making a lot of noise. 

About ten minutes later, Mingyu's phone beeped with a reply. He checked the text.

"From: july  
nice"

Mingyu furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, glancing around the area. No sign of the brunette anywhere. He looked back down at his phone, before typing a reply.

"To: july  
where are you??"

Mingyu huffed, a bit annoyed. It was now 8:15 and Jun still wasn't here. Was he being stood up? He didn't like the thought of that, and hoped Jun really wasn't the type of guy he came off as when they first met.

At 8:25 he was about to leave when a very familiar deep voice stopped him in his tracks.

"What the hell, Jun?! You aren't here, and you're being ridiculous." Mingyu flinched at the sound of the deep, ringing voice. Out of all times, he had to be here. He inwardly curled in on himself, clutching the glass of water the waiter had given him. 

"I swear, I'm going to beat your ass in. I-" There was a sharp stop, and a small chuckle. "You know what, I found something much more interesting than you, Jun. Bye, bitch."

Mingyu felt the dread pool into his chest, and he felt two hands grip his shoulder tightly. Mingyu sucked in a breath, body tensing up.

"Well, well, well...Look who we have here." The voice-sang song, and plopped in the chair next to him was none other than Jeon Wonwoo. "None other than Kim Mingyu. Fancy seeing you here."

Mingyu spun in his chair to look him dead in the eye. He wanted to be confident. Besides, why deny the facts? Nothing good can come from that. All he saw was amusement and excitement pooled into those dark orbs of his. "Likewise."

"Don't need to be so formal. I mean, we did suck each other's faces off a night or two back." Wonwoo said it so casually it made the chef sick, "Or did you forget?"

"How could I? Even while drunk, I'm faced with that awful nightmare." Mingyu went on dramatically, trying to be funny. He did not expect Wonwoo to pout, which, by the way, looked adorable.

"You were so into it though. And to think I thought I was a good kisser." 

Both men broke off into laughter, before falling into a comfortable silence. It was so weird, Mingyu thought. When Soonyoung announced his partying habits he was quick to dismiss that fact, but here he was, in a public place, admitting to making out with this guy. Maybe he was so comfortable around him? Which is also weird.

"So, what are you doing here alone? Do you just like bouncing around bars, hoping you can pick someone up and get super drunk, then make out?" Before Mingyu could reply, Wonwoo continued on, "Because you aren't going to find anyone as good as me."

The brunette chuckled lowly, shaking his head. "You're right, I won't." He paused for a moment, "I'm here alone, yeah. I got stood up on a date." He didn't want to admit it was with Junhui, considering Wonwoo was just on the phone with him before he approached Mingyu.

The raven haired man visibly cringed, sucking in a sharp breath. "Damn, sorry man. Some chicks can be so uptight."

"It was a guy, but whateves."

Wonwoo's eyes sparkled at this correction. Mingyu couldn't figure out why, though.

"Surprise; I'm your new date." He said, hopping off the chair, "and let's stop hitting up bars. I wanna take you some place interesting."

"Were you prepared for a date yourself?" Mingyu's eyebrow rose in question as he hopped off the stool as well.

"Yeah."

"Was it perhaps with Junhui?"

Wonwoo snorted, grabbing his wrist and dragging him to the front door, "Yeah, suppose you heard that, huh? I'm not too surprised. He does it all the time. He's basically a go-to buddy when I need to bang." 

Mingyu's smile faltered. Not at the fact Junhui was two-timing, but more or less of the fact he was involved with Wonwoo. For some reason, he didn't want Junhui anywhere near Wonwoo. At all. He heard the bartender mumbled something under his breath, but he couldn't quite make out the words.

"Hm?" He asked as he was pulled out into the darkness outside.

Wonwoo shook his head. "Nevermind that. Let's go."

~~

After a very eventful drive, they ended up at a cliff's edge. Wonwoo unbuckled and got out, so Mingyu followed suit.

He approached the broken down wooden fence, running his hands along it.

"Careful, you might end up with a splinter." Wonwoo warned, glancing at Mingyu, who smiled back as a response.

They stood like that for a bit, basking in the soft sound of the river below, watching the orange and yellow colors fill up the sky.

"...Tell me a bit about yourself." Wonwoo suddently spoke up, causing Mingyu to look over at him, "I only know your name and the fact you're a chef. I don't know much about anything else, really."

"Let me start from the beginning then. I'm Kim Mingyu, twenty two years old, work in Five Stars as a chef-"

"Basic information. That aside, tell me about what you like. Interests? Anything really."

"I like sports," Mingyu said slowly, "and cooking, obviously. I like to rap, but it's more of a free-time thing, really. Food. I really like to eat food. My favorite color is red. I have a little sister. I also have a pet dog." He laughed softly, trying to rack his brain for anything else. "Ahh, I don't like lingering on the topic of me. What about you?"

"I like pomegranates." He let Mingyu chuckle, also doing so himself, "I like rapping too, which is a really interesting thing in common. I like scary movies. My favorite color is blue. I have a little brother. Ah, I'm scared of dogs, in fact." 

"What made you start working at the club?" Mingyu asked out of nowhere. He was genuinely curious. He knew he didn't get to baking because he woke up one morning and felt like it.

"Oh, it's as simple as it's told. Seungcheol got a bunch of friends together and got that club with some money and dreams." He shrugged, "They put me as bartender because I can make really good mixed drinks. I have a knack for that, y'know."

"Those drinks were pretty good. So you were friends with everyone before you opened the place?" Mingyu asked, smiling at him. Wonwoo smiled back.

"It's not a really complicated story. A guy named Soonyoung is my best friend, and he works as the DJ. He was friends with the rapper there, Hansol. Hansol was friends with Seungcheol. Seungcheol hired Jun and a dancer named Chan. It just built up like that." The raven haired man shrugged, "Sometimes the loud noise gets to me, and I don't really like socializing all too much, but I enjoy it nonetheless. The friends I make and the constant uplifting fun is worth it, I'd say."

Mingyu soaked in all the story. So Soonyoung, the clubber who was at his restaurant the other day, is Wonwoo's best friend? Was there perhaps more to the encounter in the restaurant than Mingyu was taking? 

"That's nice and all, but I want to hear more about Jeon Wonwoo before the club." The chef half-teased, nudging Wonwoo's arm.

The bartender stumbled to the side, grinning, but he shook his head. "I know making out goes long ways, but we only just met."

Mingyu nodded, "I understand."

Wonwoo let out a long sigh, and Mingyu momentarily wondered if he triggered something that was not meant to be triggered. 

"What about you, huh? What made you become Cooking Mama?" Wonwoo asked, glancing at Mingyu, who raised both eyebrows and laughed.

"I wanted to act first, but that just wasted time and effort, so I tried the next best thing I was good at. Cooking." He crossed his arms over the ledge, leaning heavily on it. It creaked, and he tried to release some of the pressure so he didn't pummel forward into his death.

Wonwoo listened patiently, humming to allow Mingyu to continue. "So I went to culinary school. There I met my best friend, Seokmin. Another student, Jihoon, got a restaurant opened up and he invited the best cookers, in his opinion, to work there. So I took the job offer and got where I am today. Though sometimes Jihoon can be stressful and mean, I like my job as well."

"You truly fascinate me." Wonwoo said, stepping back to sit on the ground. Mingyu copied him, sitting rather close. For some reason, he felt drawn to him. As if they had admitted too many things to the other and only staying together will keep those secrets between them.

"You know, being rivals in business and all, I don't think we could possibly see each other out of work. It's like Romeo and Juliet, don't you think?" Mingyu joked, looking over at Wonwoo.

His profile looked just as good as the rest of him. His hair hung over his eyes eerily, giving him a good, dark look. Milky skin coated with the light rays of the sun's setting form made Mingyu's heart race. Plump lips pulled into a neutral line still made them look kissable.

Mingyu realized how good Wonwoo always managed to look, and how he wouldn't mind kissing him again. When Wonwoo turned to look back, his dark, cold eyes actually brightened with newfound warmth, he couldn't help but feel his face burst with color.

Wonwoo shifted, using his arms as support as he scooted closer to the younger male. Mingyu felt his heart pick up at the contact of their knees. He went to go shift his hands for room, but when Wonwoo's hand fell on top of his own, he knew he wasn't meant to move to the side.

He looked down, his eyes constantly avering. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't. Not when Wonwoo's face was inches from his own, eyes locking eyes. The occasional drop of a gaze to look at the other's lips was common, and he couldn't bring himself to talk.

"We'd make it work, then." Wonwoo's voice was barely a whisper, holding a husky tone to it that made a shudder run down Mingyu's back, "I know it. Because we're that type of people."

MIngyu's fingers twitched with the desire for contact as the older male laced their fingers together, blades of grass getting caught between them.

Wonwoo leaned forward until his lips ghosted over Mingyu's. The brunette, however, had his heart caught in his throat, and his senses going numb.

"Would you make an effort?" Wonwoo mouthed against his lips. 

To make it work? Mingyu didn't even have to think before he mouthed 'yes' back. And then their lips slowly connected, pressing against each other.

Except this time, it was slow and gentle like Mingyu would have liked.


	6. Chapter 6

Wonwoo slowly pulled away, on which Mingyu had silently prayed that he would do anything but. Slowly opening his eyes, he just merely gazed at Wonwoo.

His heart was pounding in his chest, his face felt extremely hot, and his stomach was jumping with butterflies. All in all, he was pretty sure he had feelings for the bartender that he had met two days prior. He had gotten the fuzzy feeling then, and he's quite literally getting it again.

The smile that had managed to grow on his face dropped when he noticed Wonwoo pull away with sudden haste. His eyes were trained to the side, not on Mingyu. This made the brunette pout and reach for his hand. Wonwoo only jerked back, nearly toppling over.

"What the hell?" Mingyu asked, tilting his head, confusion evident on his face. Wonwoo is being so confusing. One minute he was being all flirty and willing to suck his lips off, but now he was being withdrawn and quiet.

"I should think before I act," Wonwoo laughed airily, causing Mingyu to purse his lips in confusion, "I totally forgot about Seungcheol's rule."

"And that is?" Mingyu pressed on, trying to scoot closer to Wonwoo, but as he had thought he would do, the shorter male only moved away.

"I'm not allowed to date anyone outside the club, sorry." The raven haired man stood up so fast Mingyu thought he was going to fall back to the ground. However, this didn't stop the chef from standing up as well.

"So you're saying you want to date me?" He began slowly, but Wonwoo cut him off by flailing his arms.

"Well, I was hoping that's where," He took a moment to move his arms around wildly, gesturing between the both of them, "this was going! You know? I just don't go and kiss anybody!"

"I was part of that 'anybody!'" Mingyu shouted back, utterly lost on why they were starting to yell. Why Wonwoo was acting so frantic and panicked and damn, if he knew this would have been an issue he wouldn't have bothered.

Wonwoo sputtered out incoherent words before finally holding his breath. He let out a long sigh, his eyelids fluttering shut. He opened them a few seconds later, staring straight at Mingyu. Immediately, the brunette's gaze locked with the shorter male's, trying to pick apart the emotions shown in his eyes. All he saw was mixed feelings.

"You..." He paused, his pointer finger aimed at Mingyu dangerously, "Honestly think I'd make an effort if you weren't just 'anybody!'"

Mingyu let out a squeal of bewilderment, hands flying to his head and tugging on the brown locks there. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he was overall just so fucking confused. "I'm so lost! What's happening? Are we dating or not?"

"We can't!" Wonwoo whined, "Seungcheol doesn't know you're from Five Stars! He'll put the pieces together eventually!"

"Then we'll just date in secret!" Mingyu suggested, hope rising in his chest. He frowned when Wonwoo stared him down. He could feel the doubt basically radiating off of him.

"This isn't Romeo and Juliet," The younger laughed, nervousness lacing his voice as he continued on, "I think we can pull it off."

"You're sure?" Wonwoo whispered, and his voice croaked. Still so baffled by the situation and sudden change in mood, Mingyu reached out and took his hand in his own, squeezing assuringly.

"I'm sure."

~~~

"Motherfucking-" Jihoon cursed loudly, slamming a handful of paperwork on the table. The cooks seated around him looked at each other with unease, wondering what got the boss in such a fit. 

"What's wrong?" Jisoo asked, concerned for the way Jihoon's face slowly grew red with each passing second, a vein popping out on his forehead.

"Choi fucking Seungcheol is what's wrong!" Jihoon spat, hands flying to his head to tangle and pull his dyed blonde hair.

"What did he do this time?" Seokmin piped up, trying to get the smaller man to vent his problems.

"He," Jihoon paused to suck in a very sharp breath that it looked like it might have scratched his throat, "is choosing to add an upgrade to his stupid club. That upgrade being featured artists."

When no one acknowledged what that could have meant, Jihoon let out a loud noise of irritation, "He's going to host concerts!"

"Oh my God," Seungkwan groaned, hitting his head on the table.

Though it sounded rather fun, Mingyu kept his mouth glued shut. If he said one bad word, he could risk getting killed or fired. Or both. 

"It's his business, I don't see the issue." Jeonghan spoke up, voice calm and soft. That didn't spare him from a sharp glare from Jihoon.

"The issue is, if it gets too loud, they'll drive all our customers away and we'll go out of business!" Jihoon spat, swiping some of the papers off of the table.

Mingaho quickly lunged forward, trying to gather all the papers up as they fell. They were used to this. Used to Jihoon overreacting and swiping objects off the table in a fit of rage. It's not really a surprise. Therefore, the poor Chinese cook with the curly golden hair was the designated gatherer.

"What are those?" Mingyu asked, nodding his head in the direction of the papers.

"These," Jihoon grabbed one by the middle, fist crumpling the paper, "are our statistics since they moved across the street." The blonde spat, disgust lacing the word 'they'.

"Did we lose business?" Jeonghan asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Enough to be worried!" The smaller male's face suddenly darkened, an evil grin curling, "They'll probably come to us for catering due to the quantity of our food, so we'll just reject them and they'll be left to fend for themselves!"

"There's other businesses willing to cook for them, probably." Jisoo pointed out.

"No, I talked with most managers. They find the club annoying too," A short cackle, "Without food, who will stay long? Word will eventually get around and they'll be out of business."

Mingyu stared at his hands. He didn't know if he should warn Wonwoo or not. Ever since their agreement to be a secret, he had sworn that he will be honest. But this is his job. He can't lose it. He closed his eyes.

"And if I catch any of you communicating with one of their rats," Jihoon's gaze was trained on Seungkwan, as he was known for having connections with one of the club's employees, "I deem you a traitor and fire you on the spot."

"Don't you think that is taking it a bit too far?" Seokmin asked firmly upon seeing Seungkwan's face fall in sadness, "Firing us for just talking to them?"

"Yes, and if you have an issue with that then you can just leave right now and consider yourself unemployed." Seokmin cringed at Jihoon's cold tone, sending Seungkwan an apologetic glance as he couldn't help.

"What's going on with you?" Mingyu opened his eyes once he realized his boss was talking to him. Jihoon smiled. "You seem oddly troubled."

'You're being ridiculous and not fair. I have to risk my job, which I love, for someone I want to love.' Mingyu wanted to say, but he knew full well he couldn't.

"Ah, I'm just spacing out. I didn't get enough sleep last night." He lied, rubbing his eyes to seem believable. Jihoon squinted, and he knew he wasn't buying it. But he dropped it anyways.

"Meeting dismissed. Think on the new rules for a bit, eh, Seungkwan?" He said, scanning over each of their uncertain faces before leaving the room. 

Each of them departed with a pitiful gaze towards the auburn haired chef rubbing his cheeks out of distress. Mingyu was the only one who stayed behind, earning a questionable stare from Seungkwan.

"Hey, Boo," Mingyu began, "do you have a minute to talk about something?"


	7. this is an update

hello!! im going to put this on hold for a bit because...well...writer's block

if anyone's willing to help me it's be appreciative but until then!!

expect this to be updated later than usual

**Author's Note:**

> Clubbers;
> 
> -Jeon Wonwoo  
> -Choi Seungcheol  
> -Chwe Vernon  
> -Lee Chan  
> -Kwon Soonyoung  
> -Wen Junhui


End file.
